Apparatus for irrigating cavities and passages of the body



May 25, 1948. R. A. VAN HAsBRol-:CK 2,442,278

APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATING CAVITIES-AND PASSAGES OF THE BODY Filed May 25, 1945 Inventor lm /Z/sfam' A ttorn ey Patented May 25, 1948 APPARATUS FOR IRRIGATING CAVITIES AND PASSAGES F THE BODY Roland Auguste Van Hasbroeck, London, England Application May 25, 1945, Serial No. 595,679 In Great Britain May 25, 1944 (Cl. 12B-244) 'i' Claims.

This invention concerns improvements in or relating to apparatus for irrigating cavities and passages of the body, and especially the human body, although the device may be used for irrigating the cavities or passages of the bodies of animals. More particularly the invention is concerned with irrigating devices of the kind comprising a body provided with a spray tube for insertion into the cavity (e. g. the vagina) and having a plurality of expansible dilating fingers arranged around the spray tube in such' a way that they may be simultaneously adjusted by control mechanism on said body to enlarge the cavity without covering such walls to an extent which will interfere with such walls being properly iiushed and cleansed, the irrigator being provided with an inlet whereby liquid may be fed to the said spray tube and with an outlet through which the irrigating liquid and educted matter may leave the cavity.

Devices of the above named kind have been proposed previously in which the arrangement was such that the irrigating liquid and the educted matter passed through the dilating nger operating mechanism as it was being discharged, so that the mechanism was wetted and very liable to be soiled, Furthermore, the devices were not constructed in such a way as to give ready access to their interiors to facilitate the cleaning of the soiled mechanisms, and therefore the devices were not hygienic and were also liable to become corroded and faulty in action.

It is an object of the invention to provide an irrigatng device in which the internal dilating finger operating mechanism is insulated from all fluid passing through the device, i. e., both the irrigating fluid as it is fed into the device and the fluid discharged from the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide a generally improved irrigating device which is compact and convenient for use.

According to the invention a device of the kind referred to for irrigating cavities and passages in the body is provided wherein the control mechanism for the dilating fingers is insulated from the irrigating and educted fiuid during the discharge thereof.

According to a further feature of the invention the said control mechanism is insulated from all uid passing to and from the spray tube of the device.

According to a still further feature of the invention the irrigating device is provided with a valve controlling the flow of irrigating iiuid to the spray tube, and this valve is controlled by 2 one and the same controlling member as the dilating ngers so that both these parts of the device are subordinated to a common command.

In accordance with a further feature of the invention the said dilating fingers are pivoted in the plane of a diaphragm or partition which is disposed adjacent the inner end of the spray tube and which' segregates, in a liquid-tight manner, the dilating finger operating mechanism Within the body of the apparatus from the exterior spray tube end of such body,

According to a further feature of the invention the said diaphragm is a rigid one `and the pivots of the dilating fingers are mounted in a Huid-tight manner in said diaphragm.

Preferably the pivots of said dilating fingers are ball pivots. Appropriate packing means may be provided to ensure that the said pivots are liquid-tight.

According to a further feature of the invention the irrigating liquid outlet of the apparatus is disposed wholly outside that part of the said body housing the dilating nger controlling mechanism.

In accordance with a still further feature of the invention the irrigating inlet channel of the apparatus passes through the said body but has no communication with the interior thereof.

Further features of the invention will become apparent from the appended description and claims.

In order that the invention shall be more readily carried into practice, certain embodiments of the same will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Y

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional elevation of one form of vaginal douche constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the same douche viewing it from the spray tube end thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the douche, the section being taken on line III-III Figure 1;

Figure 4 is another cross-sectional View of the douche, the section being taken on line IV-IV Figure 1.

Referring -to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings it will be seen that the vaginal douche there depicted comprises a body generally indicated by 'the reference l. This body geomprises a tubular shell or casing 2 having a cylindrical part 3 contiguous with a frusto-conical part fi. At its inner .end this casing has a peripheral outwardly extending frusto-conical ange 5, and at its outer end it has a circular end plate 6 secured thereto. This end plate has a peripheral flange 1 against which bears a rubber or other sealing washer 8 clamped between the flange and the inner face of a peripherally flanged oontrol wheel 9 secured upon the outer end of a spindie I rotatably journalled in a central hole II in the end plate 6 and restrained against endwise movement in the plate 6 by a grub screw I 0a engaging in Ia peripheral groove Ib in the 'spindle I0.

The spindle I I) is co-axial with the casing 2 and is externally screw threaded at its inner endportion I2, and upon this portion 4of the spindle is mounted an internally screw threaded nut or spider I3 provided with a peripheral ange I4 radially slotted at I5 to receive a guide web I5 radially fixed within the casing 2 and-'which prevents the nut or spider from rotating rel.- atively to the casing 2.

'Ihe flange I4 of the nut or spider I3 is provided with three pairs of inwardly extending spaced parallel lugs I'Ij, these pairs `of lugs being spaced around the axis of the nut or spider at 120 apart. Between each pair of lugs I1 is pi-voted at |28 one-end or a link, I`9- pivoted at its other end at 20- to the outer end of theV shank ZI' of a dilating nger 22.

There are three dilati-ng fingers 22' equally spaced aroundaperforated spray tube 213 which has, at i-tsinner end, a detachable longitudinally curved perforated tubular nozzle 24, and each dilating linger has a looped part 2-5 longitudinally curved so as tolle along the spray tube and its nozzle when the dilating fingers are in their retracted orinoperative positions.

At its outer end (i. e., lthe end nearest the body 1) the spray tube is screwed on to a tubular spigot 2lil provided at the inner endof a hol-low cylindrical valve housing 21 mounted the casing l2 co-axially therewith, The housing 21 has therewithin a cylindrical chamber 28 having an annular conical valve seat 29 Aat its inner end upon wlflh is adapted to seat a valve 3i) having a resilient (e. g., rubber) annular seating element 3 I.

The valvev Si] has a shank 32 co-axial with the lvalve housing 21 and with the operating spindle I 0, and this shank at its outer end, secured by a cross pin 33 to the nut or spider I3 into which the shank axial-ly projects.

Around the shank 32 of the valve is arranged a packing gland which comprises a gland nut 3'4 which screwsl into the end of the valve housing 21 remote from the spray tube 23, this' packing gland being provided with rubber or Vothe-rv suitable packing washers 35 and `36 which are respectively trapped between the housing and the gland nut and an intermediate metal washerV 31. The interior of the valve Vhousing is, therefore, completely seal-ed oir and insulated from the interiorof the casing 2'.

From the upper side of the valve housing 21 extends an upright tubular boss 38 internally screw threaded to receive the screwv threaded end of a spigot 39 projecting vertically through a hole in the cylindrical part 3 of the casing 2 of the device. The spigot 39 is provided with a flange 4 0, and the casing 2 is trapped between the upper end of the boss 33 and the said Viiange 40 with intermediate packing washers 4I and 42, the lower one of which is resilient, and is formed, for instance, of rubber. The spigot 35 serves to fix the valve housing 21 in position within the casing. Y

The guide web I6 hereinbefore referred to is provided with an eye 43 which engages around .4 the boss 38 of the valve housing, and so holds the web in the required position within the casing 2. An annular guide plate `44 also assists in supporting the housing 21 within the casing 2, this annular plate extending around the body of the housing 21 and being radially slotted at its upper part to accommodate the boss 38. The plate d4 also has for each dilating nger a radial slot 45 through which the shank of the dilating nger passes.

A ring 46 is mounted on the outwardly flared end 5 of the casing 2 and is soldered or otherwise. securedv thereto. This ring has a plate 48 secured to its inner end (i. e., the end remote from the control wheel 9) by bolts IIT; this plate is of inverted pear shape and in its lower end is a hole 49 leading into a downwardly inclined discharge or outlet pipe 5i! also connected to the casing 2 by a bracket 5 I On inner free side of the plate 49 is xed a sponge rubber or equivalent cushion or pad 52 to seal the vagina around theV device. This cushion is carried by a hard rubber ring 53 hav-- ing a ilange adapted to engage over the peri-phery of the plate 4S.

The plate 48 is provided.' with three countersunk holes. 54 which may be formed by punching out circular discs of metal; from the plate and plunging outwardly the metal around these holes. Thus; three frusto-coni-cal seats are, provided, andV upon theseV seats sit three balls 55 fixed upon the Shanks. 2| of the dilating fingers 22, the shanks 22 passing diametrlcal-ly through the balls. A disc 56,; provided with holes and ball seats similar to thosein the plate 48 but of opposite form, is disposed .between the plate 48 and the valveV housing 21, and between this disc 5 and the plate 48 is arranged a packing disc 51 formed vof rubber or other sui-table'resilieut packing material which is compressed between these two plates so as to expand 'it and cause the packing to make a uid' tight joint around each of the balls 55, the packing` disc having suitable holes in which the balls of the three dilating lingers are situated. This packing disc 5-1 and the plates I8A and 56. thus. form a diaphragm or partition which completely segregates the i-nterior of thev vcasing 2 from the fluid discharged fromthe vagina and through the pipe 50, so that this uuid does not at anytime contact the dilating linger operating. mechanism arranged within the casing 2,

The holes 54 in the plates '48 are each provided with lateral slots 54a to enable the plate to be slidden, during assembly, over the looped end of the dilating fingers.

The operation of the irrigation device isv as4 follows:

Assuming the dilating ngers are in the retracted or inoperative position shown in Figure 1 the spray tube. is inserted into the vagina until the cushion 52 seals the outer end of the latter. Irrigating uid is then fed to the.l spigot 39 (which has previouslyl been coupled to a ex'- ible` supply pipe) and the control wheel 9 is rotated so as to cause the nut or spider I3V to withdraw the valve 3I from its seat 29; so permitting the fluid entering the spigot. 39` to. flow through the valve housing 21 into and along lhe spray tube 23 andl the nozzle. 24' from whence the, liq.- uid passes into the vagina through the pel-forations in this tube and nozzle. Rotating the control wheel 9 to open the. valve 3l simultaneously causes the pivots I8 and the links i9 to be moved relatively tothe casing 2, and thus causes the outer ends of the shanks 2| of the dilating fingers to be drawn upwards towards the axis of the casing 2. This causes the dilating lingers 22 to rock upon their ball joints, and to make a dilating movement for dilating the vagina. The shanks of the dilating lingers are constrained to move in a purely radial direction by the walls of the slots 45 in the guide plate G4 within the casing 2.

On the completion of the irrigating operation the control wheel 9 is rotated in the opposite direction to that in which it was turned in the rst place so as to retract the dilating fingers, and to close the valve 3l upon its seat 29 and stop the ingress of irrigating fluid.

The irrigating fluid, with the educted matter, is discharged from the device via the discharge pipe 50 and at no time enters the interior of the casing 2.

The apparatus may be washed thoroughly after use without danger of the dilating nger-operating mechanism being wetted or soiled as the case is sealed in a liquid-tight manner at all the joints so that liquid cannot enter it.

The rigid parts of the apparatus may be formed of metal, a moulded plastic (e. g., thermo-setting synthetic resin) or oi' any other suitable material or combination of materials.

I claim:

1. An irrigator of the kind specied comprising a tubular casing having a transverse plate across one end thereof, a closure( extending across the other` end of the casing, a sheet of resilient packing material upon said plate, an inverted pear-shaped plate upon said packing sheet, means adapted to draw the inverted pearshaped plate towards the first-named plate to compress the packing material in the direction of the axis of the said casing and to expand it in a direction transverse to such axis, a valve housing within said casing, an axial tubular spigot on said valve housing projecting through a hole in the partition formed by said plates and the packing material sandwiched therebetween, a spray tube carried by the said tubular spigot, a further tubular spigot extending radially from said valve housing within said casing, an external tubular spigot coupled to said further tubular spigot and adapted to serve as the liquid inlet for the irrigator, an inlet fluid control valve within said housing, a valve seat in the housing cooperating with said valve and relative to which the valve is movable, a plurality of dilating fingers arranged -around said spray tube and each having a shank portion provided with a bearing part rockably seated in a bearing formed in the plates composing the said partitition, such pivots being sealed against the passage of liquid by the packing material of said partition, said shanks extending into the interior of said casing, screw and nut mechanism for operating said dilating lingers and said inlet control valve simultaneously, a control member outside said casing and associated with said screw and nut mechanism for actuating the same, sealing means for sealing all joints of the said casing against the ingress of liquid to the casing, a discharge tube extending from the spray tube side of said inverted pear-shaped plate adjacent the apex of the latter and outside the said casing and a resilient marginal cushion around the last-named plate adjacent the periphery and on the spray tube side thereof.

2. An irrigator according to c-laim 1, iwherein the screw and nut mechanism comprises a screw 6 i threaded spindle to which the said control member is fixed, said spindle being rotatable in said casing but axially immovable therein, a nut mounted on said spindle and movable axially relatively to said casing, means for constraining said nut against rotation relatively to the casing, pivoted -links coupling the shanks of said dilating `fingers to the said nut and means for coupling said inlet liquid control valve to said nut.

3. An irrigator according to claim 1, wherein each of the plates of said partition have, for each dilating finger, a hole for the passage of the shank thereof, said hole being countersunk on the internal opposed surfaces of each of said plates to constitute an annular bearing Vfor a ball pivot, and a ball pivot mounted in each of said seat-- ings and having the shank of a dilating linger passing diametrically therethrough and fixed therein, said seatings being sealed against the passage of liquid into the yinterior of the casing by the resilient packing material between the said plates of the partition.

4. An irrigator of the kind specified comprising a tubular casing having a transverse partition extending across one end thereof, a closure extending across the other end of said casing, said parltition and closure defining a sealed space within said casing, a spray tube extending forwardly from the partition end of said casing, a ud inlet conduit passing into and through the sealed space within said casing and through said partition, and said inlet conduit communicating with said spray tube, a valve housing within said conduit, said housing containing a valve seat and a liquid inlet control valve for cooperation with said seat, a iiuid discharge conduit outside said casing and communicating with the spray tube end of the irrigator to conduct away irrigating liquid and educted matter, a plurality of dilating ngers arranged around said spray -tube and having shank portions passing through said partition into the interior of said casing `and pivoted in said partition, said partition comprising a pair of rigid plates with resilient packing material interposed and compressed between them and forming a fluid-tight seal for the said finger shank portions at the parts where they pass through the said partition, screw and nut mechanism within said casing for oscillating said dilating fingers on their pivots, and a central member .outside said casing and connected to said screw and nut mechanism for operating the latter.

5. A device of the kind specied for irrigating the cavities and passages of the body, such device comprising a tubular casing closed by a closure member at both ends to provide a sealed space within the casing, a spray tube extending from the closure member at one end of the casing, conduit means to lead irrigating fluid to said spray tube out of contact with the said sealed space, a pluralityV of dilating ngers arranged around the said spray tube and having shanks passing through the closure member from which the spray tube extends and into the said sealed space, a ball pivot on each of said Shanks, a resilient seat for each ball pivot, such seats being provided in the closure member through which the said shanks pass and in which seats the said ball pivots are fluid-tightly sealed, operating mechanism within the said sealed space for actuating the said dilating fingers, a control member outside the said casing for actuating said operating mechanism, and a discharge conduit for the used irrgating fluid and educted matter, such discharge conduit being whollyr` segregated from. the: said sealed space.

` 6'; A device' according to claim 19, wherein means are provided for compressing the said re,- sil-ientf seats aroundthe said ballL pivots.

7i; An irrigator ofthe kind specified comprising a closed tubular casing'havingV a transverse rigid plate across .one end thereof, a: closure extending across the other end; of' said casing, a sheet of re.- siintpacking material upon said plate, a further rigidi plate onthe cuter side of said sheetoi resilient4 materia-1i, means for drawing said rigid plates towards each other toY compress the pack.-Y ingrnateriai between them and expand saidy materiallf'iri a plane parallel- .to the. planes of the said rigid? plates, a spray tube extending through and out'v'va'rdilyL from said rigid plates and sheet of packing. material,V conduit means to lead irrigatin'g) duidto saidi spray tubeA out` of con-tact with the interior of said tubular casing, valve means in said conduit means for control-ling the supply of fluid to said spray tube, a plurality of di-lating lingers arranged around said*- spray tube ami; each having a shank portion, passing-through said rigid plates and.: packing material intathe interior of the casing; a ball pivot on earch of` said shanks, said bali pivot being supported in said; rigid plates and resilient packing material and being sealed thereby against the passage of uid into said casing, screw and nut mechanism foroperating said dilating lingers and said valve means. a control member outside said casing for actuating said screw and' nut mechanism, and a discharge 6911; duit for the used irrigating fluid and educted matter, said discharge conduit being Wholly segregated from the interior of said tubular casing, ROLAND AUGUSTE VAN HASBROECK.

REFERENCES. CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITEDv STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1,034,818 Mulgrew Aug. 6., 19112y 1,483,360 McArthur Feb. 12, 192i 1,943,110 Corbett Jan. 9; 193e FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,704 Great Britain Oct. 12:, 130.5 364,791 Italy Nov. 15, 1938 472,364 Great Britain Sept. 22, 1937 815,861 France Apr. 19,1937 849,437 France Aug. 11, 1939 

